South-east Queensland storm leaves homes without power; Boy treated for electric shock

Storms lashed out on South-east Queensland on Sunday night, leaving havoc on the power network. A Brisbane boy was brought to the hospital after he suffered an electric shock during the destructive winds, which have left thousands of properties without power.

The Queensland Ambulance Service said that the boy suffered injuries as a result of taking a shower during the current electrical storm lightning strike. He was brought to a hospital in stable condition, with his injuries not considered life-threatening.

Nine News reports that a total of 135,000 households and businesses were left without power overnight. Energex workers were restoring power in Brisbane, Redland, Logan, Scenic Rim and Gold Coast.

"There was enormous damage – we had over 400 wires on the ground," Energy Queensland chief executive Paul Jordan told the network.

The wild weather generated over 265,000 lightning strikes. Over 500 power lines were reportedly brought down. Kingston, Beenleigh, Creastmead and Jimboomba have seen the worst damage.

Over 40,000 properties in Logan City, south of Brisbane, were still without electricity on early Monday. The count almost reached 7,000 in Brisbane and about 2,300 in Redland City.

Some residents can expect long waits for their lights to come back. Power officials said it could be as late as Tuesday afternoon or evening (local time) in some areas. To ensure safety, Energex warned those from storm-affected locations to stay away from any fallen lines.

Storm-related issues forced at least one school to suspend classes. Crestmead State School was closed on Monday, The Guardian reports. It was expected that other schools will be closed on the same day as repair crews work to reconnect power.

Delays to train services on Beenleigh and the Gold Coast lines were also felt. The condition eventually returned to normal. Meanwhile in Brisbane, fans of US band Paramore had to evacuate Brisbane’s Riverstage venue prior to the show.

Residents in South-east Queenslander can expect another round of storms on Monday. Forecasters have warned that nearly identical conditions could spawn more gusty thunderstorms across the south-east, which can also affect Brisbane and the Gold and the sunshine coasts.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, "only saving grace" was the refreshing sea breeze for residents near the coast. Otherwise, temperatures in several parts of the state were expected to be eight to nine degrees above average.

BoM meteorologist Lauren Pattie said that an air mass was forecast to linger over Queensland. Humidity is expected to heap on.